earth science

Olaf Holtedahl

Olaf Holtedahl is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Olaf Holtedahl rather than just read about it. In short: Olaf Holtedahl (24 June 1885 – 26 August 1975) was a Norwegian geologist (Dr.philos., 1913). He became a senior lecturer at the University of Oslo in 1914, and was Professor of Geology there from 1920 to 1956.

Key takeaways

Olaf Holtedahl belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Olaf Holtedahl to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Olaf Holtedahl from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Olaf Holtedahl (24 June 1885 – 26 August 1975) was a Norwegian geologist (Dr.philos., 1913). He became a senior lecturer at the University of Oslo in 1914, and was Professor of Geology there from 1920 to 1956.

Career Olaf Holtedahl was born in Kristiania (modern-day Oslo), Norway, the son of Arne H. Holtedahl, superintendent of pauper administration, and his wife, Mathilde Madsen. Around 1903 he did his obligatory military service at Gardermoen, just north of Oslo, and here met Captain Gunnar Isachsen who greatly influenced him, and first inspired his interest in polar regions. In 1909, Isachsen invited Holtedahl to join him in explorations of Spitsbergen as official geologist of the group. He studied geology at the University of Oslo, graduating in 1909 and receiving a doctorate in 1913. Staying in the university as staff he received his professorship in 1920. Holtedahl was among the last of a generation of geologists that mastered the subject in all its breadth. He delivered a significant contribution, not only in Norway but also for large areas of the Arctic and Antarctic. His first geological work dealt with the Oslo Rift in the Cambrosilurian period, and he was part of the 1909–11 expeditions to Svalbard. Between 1914 and 1917, he explored the geology of Lapland, and in 1918, he worked at Bear Island. In 1921 he led a Norwegian expedition to Novaya Zemlya. He joined the 1927–28 Antarctic expeditions of Lars Christensen, and he edited the scientific results from these expeditions . He was the doctoral advisor of Bjørn G. Andersen, whose subsequent works on Quaternary geology he greatly influenced. In the Second World War he was a member of the Norwegian resistance movement. Holtedahl died in Oslo on 26 August 1975.

Family He married Tora Gurstad in 1912. Their children include Professor of geology Hans Holtedahl (1917–2001).

Honors and awards Wollaston Medal (1951) Elected member of the Royal Society in 1961

References

External links

Olaf Holtedahl: 24. juni 1885 — 26. august 1975, in the Norwegian Journal of Geography, Volume 30, Issue 1, 1976 Olaf Holtedahl 24. juni 1885 — 26. august 1975 Elected For Mem. R. S. 1961 by L. Størmer Olaf Holtedahl Biography in Store Norske Leksikon Olaf Holtedahl Biography at Norsk Polarhistorie Geology of Norway: Maps in cooperation with Bjørn G. Andersen

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Olaf Holtedahl

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Olaf Holtedahl claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Olaf Holtedahl before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Olaf Holtedahl ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Olaf Holtedahl

In research: Olaf Holtedahl appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Olaf Holtedahl in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Olaf Holtedahl is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1885 births, 1975 deaths, 20th-century Norwegian geologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Olaf Holtedahl outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Olaf Holtedahl in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Olaf Holtedahl means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Olaf Holtedahl out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Olaf Holtedahl in simple terms?

Why does Olaf Holtedahl matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Olaf Holtedahl?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Olaf Holtedahl.